Automatic intermittent control for internal-combustion engines.



G. C. ULMSTED.

AUTOMATIC INTERMITTENT CONTROL FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPHCATION FILED MAR 9.19]?- 1,269,637, lavtentedJuno 18. 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Ego/(9, INZENTOR. BY

ATTORNEY.

G. C. OLMSTED.

AUTOMATIC |N1ERM|TTENT CONTROL FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR 9.1912.

Patented June 18, 1918 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- I N VEN TOR.

ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE C. OLMSTED, OF MINNEAFOLIS, MINNESOTA.

AUTOMATIC INTERMITTENT CONTROL FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Application filed March 9, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE C. OLMs'rEo, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Intermittent Controls for InternalCombustion Engines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention consists of certain improvements in devices for automatically preventing freezing of an automobile engine or the rendering of said engine and parts inoperative by the action of cold, the annoyance and inconvenience in addition to frequently much damage and expense being Well known to the owners of automobiles.

The invention relates especially to that class of automobiles equipped with electric self starters, the device being principally electrically controlled and made to operate in connection with the electric equipment of the automobile.

The principal object of the device is to produce a practical and reliable mechanism that may be depended upon to intermittently set the engine of the automobile in motion and keep it running for a predetermined period.

Another object is to provide such a device, automatically controlled by atmospheric temperature.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the. further description of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this application and in which like reference characters indicate like parts:

Figure 1 represents a diagrammatic view of the novel combination of operative ele ments essential in carrying out my invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged diagrammatic view of the thermometer used in the automatic circuit.

Fig. 3 is a. transverse sectional view of the exhaust pipe of the engine showing in elevation the damper switch or circuit breaker in the starter circuit.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical section of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a diagramn'latic plan view of the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 18, 1918.

Serial No. 153,787.

automatic magnetic switch used in the starter by-pass circuit.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the clock operated controlling mechanism, and

Fig. 7 is a plan view of Fig. 6.

In the ordinary operation of an automobile engine equipped with an electric starter,

the engine is started by first closing the engine switch ready for proper ignition, assuming that the proper supply of gas is provided, then the starter switch is closed. This by virtue of proper connection with the stored supply of electricity will excite the starter motor into action and it being geared to the engine shaft will start the engine, meanwhile the spark and throttle levers being adjusted to proper positions will supply fuel and ignition to the engine, thus enabling same to run so long as these are supplied.

In the drawings, 1 represents the engine of the automobile, 2 the electric generator which is driven by the engine and furnishes a supply of electricity to the storage battery 3, and 4 represents the starter motor which derives its power from the storage battery 3 when required to start the engine. These together with their various switches and connections which differ materially in different makes of cars though their functions remain the same, are found on the ordinary automobile.

In illustrating a practical embodiment of my automatic cooperating combination with the above described elements, I provide an auxiliary electric circuit which is termed the operating circuit, and in which is installed a clock operated wheel 5, a metallic thermoineter 6, a circuit breaker 7, automatic switches 8, and 50 an auxiliary two way switch 9 with certain electric contacts and connections hereinafter more fully described.

The gear wheel 5 is preferably of solid construction and operatively mounted in any desired manner to a common spring wound clock suitable for the purpose. and

connected with the clock in such a manner as to revolve, say, once in every 120 minutes. On one face of the wheel are several series of like projections or contact points 10 placed equidistant apart in ditierent concentric circles, as for example, as illustrated, there are six such points in the outermost series, they representing spaces of time 20 minutes apart; in the next series there are but three such points representing spaces of time 40 minutes apart; in the next series there are but two such points representing spaces of time 60 minutes apart, and In the last series there is but one such point representing a space of time of 120 minutes or one full revolution of the wheel during the 1nlcrval between contacts.

The axle ll of the wheel 5 is in the electric operating circuit as indicated at 12.

Spaced a distance from the tace of the wheel 5 carrying the contacts 10, 1s a radiallv extending longitudinally adjustable arm insulated from and carried upon a suitable lixed support, let.

The end oi. the arm adjacent the face of the wheel 5 has a contact point 16 extending toward said wheel and which, when in the path of any of the points 10 Will engage same as the latter pass thereunder.

The arm 13 is supported at its opposite end by a knobbed bolt 15 Wl11Ch passes through an elongated slot 17 in the support ll. A suitable spring washer 17 1s positioned beneath the head of the bolt by which the proper tension is maintained thereupon to admit of the arm being slid longltudlnally as described.

An adjusting thumb screw 18 w th suitable lock nut 19 may be installed intermediate the ends of the arm 13 and whereby the impingement ot' the contact point 16' upon the points 10 lnay be varied according to requirements by vertical adjustment oi the screw 18, the resilient tendency of the arm 13 being normally toward the face of the wheel 5.

Formed integral with the base l-l or adjacent thereto is an indicator scale 20 having four equidistant points 21 thereupon, the distance between said points being equal to the radial distance between any two of the contact points ll) radially alincd on the wheel 5.

The points 21 are designated from the wheel end of the plate 20, 120, (30, CO and 20, which coincides with the radial spacing of the contact point '10 as previously described. A pointer 22 is fixed to the arm 13 adjacent the knobbed bolt 15 and by which the longitudinal position of the arm 13 is determined as is obvious. The arm 13 is connected with and forms a part of the operating electric circuit as at 23. Thus the intcrmissions between closed periods of the electric circuit may be regulated by the longitudinal adjustment oi the arm 1. 3 in positioning it to engage ditl'crcnt series of contacts ll).

The metallic thermometer 6 inslallcd within the. electric circuit is of the commonstandard type depending upon the move ment of strips of metal whose coetlicients of expansion are dill'erent and which movement causes the spindle 23' to oscillate inaccord therewith. To theindex pointer 24;, I attach a spring metal extension In a suitable support 26, spaced a distance from the extension 25 and in the path thereof, is screw threadedly mounted a thumb screw 27, said thumb screw extending normally at approximately right angles to the extension Parallel with the thumb screw 27 and abreast the head 28 thereof is a scale plate 29 having graduated marks along the edge thereof adjacent the peripheral edge of the head 28 of the screw 27. These scale markings are designated zero, 10 degrees below and 10, 20 and 30 degrees above zero, as indicated, or any other degrees desired may be indicated on the scale. The relative position of this plate, the thumb screw and extension 25 on the thermometer are such that when the head of the thumb screw is in line with the mark 10 degrees below zero, the extension 25 of the thermometer Will engage the end of the thumb screw adjacent thereto when the thermometer registers 10 degrees below zero. lVhen such contact occurs, the two lines of the electric circuit being connected, one at 30 to the base of the thermometer 6, and the other at 31 to the fixed support 26, the ircuit will be closed. From the above it is evident that this device in connection with the thermometer may be set to operate at various temperatures.

The circuit breaker 7 comprises a transverse shat't 32 rockably mounted Within the exhaust pipe leading from the engine. From this shaft rigidly depends a substantially semi-circular shaped blade 3%, said blade being but. slightly smaller than the lower portion of the exhaust pipe in which it extends, for the purpose of being quickly affected by the exhaust passing through the pipe. To one end of the shaft. extending outside of the exhaust pipe is rigidly fixed an upstanding metal arm 35, which is designed to simultaneously contact the two suitably arranged termini 36 and 37 of the electric starter circuit, when the blade 34: is in its normal inactive lowermost position, as indicated in Fig. 4, thus closing the electric circuit in the wires 36 and 37. \Vhen the blade 34 is raised by the action of the exhaust passing through the pipe 33, such electric connection will be broken by the arm 3.") swinging from contact with the ends ol the wires I30 and 37.

ll'hile l have shown this form of automatic circuit maker and breaker being operated by the exhaust ol' the engine. it is evident that other Forms of a similar device ion of the engine to and which depends for operated by a moving port might be resorted its action upon the speeding up of the engine when it operates on its own fuel independent of the starter motor.

38 represents the regular engine switch installed within the ignition circuit of the engine and which it is the custom to lock open to prevent theft of the car. Around this switch is the bypass circuit 39-39, connected to either side of the electro-magnetic switch 50, which is installed within the circuit intermediate of the thermometer 6 and the clock mechanism which control the ignition circuit, the switch 50 being automatically operated therein.

The auxiliary two way switch 9 is installed within the starter circuit so that the energy from the storage battery 3 may be out out and electric energy from an exterior source be substituted therefor, as for example, when the automobile is in a garage equipped with other electric energy, the object or this provision being to make the demand on the storage battery as light as possible.

oThe starter by-pass automatic switch 8 in the starter circuit is automatically operated by the closing of the operating circuit passing through the clock mechanism and the thermometer. The tongue 41 of the switch is drawn by electromagnetic force to contact with the core 42 of the magnet 43, by the electric energy traversing the wire 4e forming the magnetic coil in the operating circuit. The starterby-pass circuit wires -15 and 4e are connected to the switch tongue and magnet core respectively. The switch tongue 41 is normally held apart from engagement of the core *2 of the magnet by a suitable spring 47, or other convenient arrangement. An auxiliary electric battery 48 is installed within the operating circuit for providing energy thereto, or if preferred, the energy for this circuit may emanate from the storage battery 3;

At 49 I have indicated an electromagnetic operated; priming means to provide against need of a richer charge of gas being required for the engine to enable itto start readily. As is well known, this may be HCCOlTlPllSllOCl in many ways, as for example, by deprcssing the flushing pin in the carburetor or by operating the choker rod to close. the air inlet to the mixing chamber whereby the mixture becomes abnormally.rich for priming purposes.

There are also many ways of oicrating such a device electrically. and su ce it to say that the magnet is made to operate such means in any desired manner. This primcr is installed in and bccou'ies a part of the or crating circuit and will operate instantly upon the closing of the circuit by the thcr- Inometcr and the clock.

The opcration of the dcvicc is as follows: Assuming the car to bc left alone in the following condition. throttle and spark lovers in starting position, engine switch 38 and starter switch *0 left open as usual, the pointerZZ 0n the arm 13 positioned opposite the time intervals at which it is desired to have the engine operated, as indicated upon the scale 20, and the thermometer set in accordance with the desired temperature rcgn" lation, as upon the scale '25,). The engine will remain quiescent till the temperature drops sufiicient for the member .25 to engage the end of the thumb screw 27, which will close the electric circuit through the thermometer: Now as the wheel is being constantly rotated by the action of the clock when one of the contact points 10 on the face of the wheel passes under and engages the contact 16 on the end of the arm 13, the clock circuit will become closed. The electric energy then passing through the operating circuit will as before described, automatically close the switch 8 which will complete the circuit therethrough and the connections 45 and it through thisswitch forming a bypass around the starter switch s10, will close the starter circuit and set the starter motor in instant operation, it being assumed that the leaf valve 34 in the exhaust pipe is maintaining a closed connection between the wires 36 and 37.

If the primer i9 is used in the operating circuit, it will have instantly come into action by electro-magnetic force being generated therein and will supply the necessary priming charge to the engine. Or assuming the engine otherwise properly primed, it will immediately commence to operate as under ordinary circumstances, it being cranked by the action of the starter motor. \Vhen now the engine takes hold, that is. starts to operate on its own fuel, the force of the exhaust gases impinging the leaf valve 3% will swing it to a horizontal position, which will separate the arm 35 from contact with the wires 36 and 37 and thus open or break the starter circuit, which will shut down the starter motor. The latter is now passive and the engine proceeds to operate on its own power and will continue to do so until the contact point 10 which first engaged the contact 16 will have passed from under said contact 16 which will open the operating circuit and 'ausc the engine to stop. This cycle will continue to be repeated as the successive contact points 10 revolve about and cngagc the contacting mechanism, provided however the temperature maintains a closed circuit through the thermoinetcr mechanism, otherwise the starting device would obviously tail to operate.

he necessity of intcrmittcntly operating an automobilc cnginc during freezing weather is well undcrstood and docs not seem to rcquirc i'nrthcr illustration heroin.

It is to be understood that various inodilications of the incchanism within thc scope of the invention may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit thereof.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. The combination with an engine furnishing the motive power of a self propellcd vehicle and having an electric starter operatively connected therewith, of controlling means comprising a thermostatic circuit maker and breaker, a time operated circuit maker and breaker and means whereby the operation of said controlling means may be predetermined.

2. The combination with an engine forming the motive power of a self propelled vehicle and having a motor operated starter connected therewith, of means for control ling the starter and the duration of the operation of the engine, means for automatically operating the controlling means and means whereby the automatic operation may be predetermined.

3. The combination with an engine forming the motive power of a self propelled vehicle and having a motor operated starter connected therewith, of means for controlling the starter, means for controlling the duration of the operation of the engine,

means for automatically operating the con troller and means whereby the automatic operation may be predetermined and preadjusted.

4. The combination with an engine forming the motive power of a self propelled vehicle and having a motor operated starter connected therewith, of means including a clock and a thermometer for controlling the starter and for timing the duration of running of the engine and means whereby the operation of the controlllng means andtiming means may be predetermined.

5. The combination with an internal combustion engine forming the motive power of a self propelled vehicle and having an electric operated starter connected therewith, of

a thermometer, a clock operated mechanism, an automatic switch, means whereby the cooperative action of the last mentioned three elements will start the starter and the starter start the engine,means for automatically stop ping the starter, means for subsequently automatically stopping the engine and means whereby the foregoing cycle of opera tions may be automatically intermittently repeated.

6. The combination with an internal combustion engine and accessories comprising an electric starter, a generator, a storage battery, a starter electric circuit and an ignition electric circuit, of a circuit maker and breaker in the starter circuit automatically operated by the engine, a thermostatically operated circuit maker and breaker and a clock operated circuit maker and breaker installed intermediate of the circuits of the engine and starter and cooperative therewith, a bypass circuit intermediate the starter circuit and the ignition circuit and an automatic electric circuit makerand breaker in the ignition circuit and controlling the by-pass circuit, substantially as and for the purpose described.

, 7. The combination with a vehicle engine having an electric generator, a storage battery, an electric starter and an electric circuit therefor, of a cooperative auxiliary electric circuit whereby the electric starter circuit is controlled, said auxiliary circuit having cooperatively installed therein a time con trolled switch, a thermostatically controlled switch, an electro-magnetically controlled switch, and an electro magnetically controlledprimer, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE O. OLMSTED.

Witnesses:

GERTRUDE GpPETERSON, S. K. PHILLIPS. 

